The hygienic disposal of sanitary napkins presents a serious problem for most public washroom facilities. Disposal of sanitary napkins via the normal sewage system is not practical since bulky sanitary napkins tend to plug drainage pipes and cause backups and blockages. As a result sanitary napkins can accumulate in regular waste receptacles of public washrooms. This causes serious problems with odour and can be a potential source of infection and disease if not dealt with effectively.
Various systems have therefore been developed in an attempt to deal with sanitary napkin waste disposal in public washroom facilities. The products currently available generally consist of storage containers separate from regular washroom waste receptacles. Such containers may be floor-standing or recessed into the washroom wall and generally have flip-top lids or flaps through which waste material is deposited into the container. In some cases the containers may contain a disinfecting solution for killing germs and bacteria and for reducing odours associated with such waste material.
The systems currently available, do not provide a secure, controlled environment for the disposal of sanitary napkins. Many of the current systems do not deal effectively with the associated odours and bacteria created by the disposal of sanitary napkins. If disinfecting solutions are used, they are often toxic and dangerous, especially considering that they are not generally contained in a rugged, secure, water-proof container spillage and splashing of the solution can create a danger to those using the container to dispose of waste and especially to those cleaning waste from the container. The current systems also do not function to effectively control and prevent viewing of the unsightly mess associated with the disposal of sanitary napkins. Opening the container to deposit waste often presents the washroom patron with an unpleasant visual image, a characteristic of sanitary napkin disposal that causes many people to simply flush the sanitary napkin down the toilet.
The lids on many of the current systems also have a tendency to become contaminated with waste fluids, thus presenting a risk of disease and infection to washroom patrons who must touch soiled portions of the lid in order to place waste material into the container.